


One Year

by iridiumring92



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles X
Genre: Gen, Lao being pessimistic, kind of angst, new year's, set kind of early in the game, smol spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 08:44:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17280848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iridiumring92/pseuds/iridiumring92
Summary: After a year of being on Mira, Elma's team gets together, remembering the celebrations Earth used to have. The mood is rather less than joyful.





	One Year

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this two years ago now. Wow. I keep reading it and meaning to add it to the archive, just because I love Xenoblade Chronicles X so much and am still playing it. Also, Lao's character fascinates me.
> 
> Avatar's name here is Raven Cross.

“A year. It’s been a year.” Doug stares down into his glass, shaking his head. “And we haven’t found it yet.”

“We’re still alive,” a steady female voice points out, and he looks over his shoulder to see Elma behind him. He grins at her, but she can see the weariness in his face, a weariness that wasn’t there before.

“Hell,” Doug says. “I guess we are.”

Elma steps around him to one of the other chairs at the table and finds her teammates looking back at her. Raven Cross, the newest addition to her team, who has tanned skin and dark, wine-red hair. Elma considered her a new addition to BLADE as well for a while, but Raven quickly warmed up to the duties of a soldier and the challenges of Mira. She’s developed a deep respect for the woman.

And then there’s Lao Huang. With pale skin, long dark hair, and a perpetually brooding expression, as well as the look that he’s forgotten to shave for a day or two. He has his hands balanced around a bottle in front of him, fingers laced, and he’s glaring at it. Even BLADE’s year-anniversary celebration can’t lighten his mood.

Lin Lee Koo is missing. Elma had suspected she’d disappear—either to take the day to work on a few mechanical things, dodge all the drinking that Vandham definitely wouldn’t allow her to participate in, or mourn her parents. Maybe all of the above. Frankly, Elma’s surprised Lao even bothered to show up, given that he has people to mourn as well.

Irina Akulov and Gwin Evans have joined their table, too, and Elma finds herself glad for their presence. Without them, it would just be Doug, Lao, and Raven, and Lao doesn’t look like he’s up for a conversation. She wouldn’t have wanted to leave Doug and Raven to do all the talking for the night.

“It’s just not the same as New Year’s Eve back on Earth,” Doug sighs. “I’m not sure I’m looking forward to spending another year on this godforsaken planet.”

“We’re doing okay,” Raven says. “We’ll have another year to get things mapped out and perform our duties as BLADEs. It’ll be good for us.”

“If the Lifehold Core doesn’t go completely to shit before we find it,” Lao says.

“Lao,” Elma warns.

“Let’s be realistic here,” Lao says, looking up from his bottle. “New Year’s Days on Earth were great. Another year to start over, to do something with your life, whatever. It was pretty certain you’d get that year. But here? No. Good BLADEs die all the time in the field. The Lifehold Core is draining as we speak. Who the hell knows if we’re going to get another year? We might all be dead by the end. That’s why I don’t understand any of this.”

“Lao, if you’re going to be like this all night,” Elma begins.

“Hey, Elma, let him be,” Doug says. “The man’s got a point.”

“Yeah,” Gwin says, “but if that’s true, why shouldn’t we take the day off once in a while? Then at least we get to relax a little before everything ends.”

Elma glances at Raven and sees her smiling a little.

“Whatever,” Lao says and takes a long drink from the bottle in front of him.

“You remember when people used to say that you had to kiss someone at midnight on New Year’s Eve?” Irina says, shaking her head and smiling. “Sounds pretty stupid now, doesn’t it?”

“Not at all,” Gwin says. “I’d do it. It sounds like it’d take away the stress for a little while.”

“But these mimeosome bodies . . .” Raven begins, uncertain.

“They can handle it,” Elma says. “We’re human. If they took little things like that away from us, I’m sure some of us would go mad.”

“Maybe we should keep up the tradition,” Doug says.

A few minutes into the conversation, Elma looks at Raven, who’s glancing off to the side. It’s then that she realizes Lao is gone. Somehow he’s managed to slip away, and there isn’t much time left until midnight. Maybe he wants to be alone when year two begins.

But when the conversation trails off for a moment, Raven stands up from her chair. “I’ll be right back,” she says, and Elma knows in a heartbeat that she’s going after Lao. She doesn’t take her drink.

Elma closes her eyes and hopes he’s not angry.

 

* * *

 

Raven finds Lao near the restrooms in the back of the BLADE barracks. He’s standing outside the door, but he has his hands knotted in his hair, like he wants to rip it out. He leans his forehead against the wall, and his chest heaves with each breath he takes.

She can hear people in the restrooms, but no one’s outside to see him. Raven steps forward, her combat boots thudding against the floor, and when he hears her approach, he swivels around to face her.

“Raven, what the hell?”

“Sorry,” she says. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

“I know you didn’t. But if you wanted someone to talk to, I’m here.”

Lao sighs, presses a hand against the wall. His throat bobs up and down as he swallows. He looks ill.

“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about them,” he says. “Not since the day I got on the White Whale. Not since the day we left Earth.”

“You mean . . .”

“Charmaine and Chenshi.” His voice drops. “It’s just—God—why did this have to happen? Why am I stuck in this synthetic body that just won’t let me . . . ?” He trails off, squeezing his eyes shut.

“I can’t imagine,” Raven says. “I can’t pretend to understand, Lao. And I’m sorry for that. But if you need us—we’re your team. We’re here for you. All of us survivors have to be each other’s family now.”

He lets out a shaky breath. “Yeah. You’re right. It’s just going to take me a while.”

“You have all the time you need,” Raven says. “Here.”

She holds out her hand for him to take, and after a moment of silence, he reaches for her. Raven makes no move to drag him back to the rest of the squad. Instead, they stand there, palms pressed together and fingers interlocked, in silence. Elsewhere in the barracks, the celebrations go on.


End file.
